


Starlight, Starbright

by JustSmileStuffHappens (ksz13)



Series: 911 Crack Week 2020 [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 9-1-1 Crack Week (9-1-1 TV), Aliens, Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Crack, Be Careful What You Wish For, Being Lost, Best Friends, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Crack, Crack and Angst, Death, Declarations Of Love, Detectives, Dimension Travel, Djinni & Genies, Dreams, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreams vs. Reality, Existential Angst, Existential Crisis, False Memories, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Ghosts, Invisibility, Loss, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Matter of Life and Death, Memories, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Memory Magic, Meteor, Missing Persons, Mystery, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Nightmares, Not Really Character Death, Open to Interpretation, POV Outsider, Plants, Reality Bending, Recovered Memories, Soul-Searching, Souls, Spirits, Stars, Stolen Moments, Team as Family, Temporary Amnesia, Temporary Character Death, Time Shenanigans, UFOs, Wish Fulfillment, Wishes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:27:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28805817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksz13/pseuds/JustSmileStuffHappens
Summary: 911 Crack Week Day 5Non-Human Outsider POV
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Athena Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Howie "Chimney" Han & Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: 911 Crack Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2109261
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	Starlight, Starbright

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm done.
> 
> *it's done!

_**Starlight, Starbright** _

A tiny kept secret from everyone including Maddie and Eddie was that Buck liked to just relax and look up above him, around him.

It was something that was entirely his. To just take in the city he'd chosen, filled with the people he loved. Where he lived.

Not even Abby knew about it, but maybe she'd figured it out from befo- maybe not.

So that's why he was on the roof of his place at this time.

He looked up at the sky and sighed for his plight.

"Not even a plant will stay with you." Buck laughed at himself.

It was dumb. But it hurt.

He'd given it everything he could. Buck was scared to get a pet. He'd never had one before. Maybe that was a good thing.

In the next second he saw a bright light and then nothing.

He woke to try standing up. Only he couldn't. He already was? Or wasn't. Was that his body!?

The thing that hit him. That light. Was it a meteor? A drone?

Buck stared at his body.

"What?"

The light he'd seen before he passed out was frozen in place above him, his body.

Buck tried to touch it but his hand flew straight through it.

No. 

Buck bent down to touch his own body. It couldn't be. He wasn't.

Buck's hand went through his own body. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. This was impossible. No. Please.

He looked to the already set sun. 

Buck was dead. He was dead.

No!

Buck refused to believe it. This was some horrible dream, a nightmare he couldn't escape. Couldn't wake.

His wallet had fallen out of his pocket and opened to show his license and a credit card.

Buck watched as a light similar to the one above him enveloped it. In the next second Buck's picture was gone, empty. Lost.

* * *

"Daddy?" Christopher asked.

"Yeah Chris?"

"Can I call-?"

"Call who buddy?"

"I don't remember." Christopher pouted his lips.

"Abuela's already asleep probably kiddo. Was it Pepa?" Eddie asked as he put away the book they'd just read as a bedtime story.

Christopher looked to be deep in thought with his head tilted. "No. I know she's asleep. And it wasn't Pepa." 

"Then who was it Christopher?"

"Nevermind." Christopher frowned and shook his head. "Good night daddy." 

Eddie hugged him and kissed Christopher's head.

"Night. Sweet dreams."

He was putting out the light when Eddie looked at a few of the drawings Christopher had up. 

Why was he just alone in a few? 

He had plenty of friends at school and the others had him and Shannon in them. 

Eddie shook his head to clear his thoughts and put that away to ask Chris's psychologist and Carla when he next saw her.

He came into the kitchen and sighed at the six pack in his fridge. Eddie hated drinking alone. 

He closed the fridge to see yet another drawing this time there was space between him and Chris. It filled his stomach with a bad feeling as he grabbed it and felt it in his hands. 

Eddie sat down and pulled out his phone while pulling up- he wasn't sure. Was he going for his messages or to call someone. All the others were at work, he knew that. So- why had he?

Eddie rubbed his eyes. He was probably just tired. Maybe he'd feel better after some sleep.

* * *

"You're just as bad as-" Chimney stopped as he was about to slam down his cards on the table.

"As bad as who?" Hen asked.

"As- Josh? Yeah. I was definitely gonna say Josh." Chim said.

"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go grab my sweater. It's a little chilly in here tonight." Hen said.

Chimney followed her down. It was quiet tonight. No Eddie, no-

There it went again. That weird feeling like he was forgetting something. He shrugged.

"So, are you two having fun with the little brother? Finding time for yourselves can be hard-"

"Maddie doesn't have a brother." Chimney told her, looking at Hen like she'd grown an extra head.

"I know that. I was talking about Albert. What made you think that?" Hen asked him.

"I don't know. Have you ever realized this locker between us has been empty all these years since we joined?" Chimney asked and looked out at the racks of their turnout gear.

"Well, now that you mention it. Yeah. It is kinda weird." Hen moved to open it only to find it was locked though.

Usually the empties here were unlocked by the master key until they were assigned to someone.

"Hey Bobby!" Hen got his attention as he was walking around to see that those with duties were keeping up with them.

"Yes Hen." He popped his head into the locker room.

"No one's got this locker right?" Hen asked.

"No. 'S empty." He shook his head then smiled and went to leave and finish his checking.

"Well it's locked." She said.

Bobby stopped between his steps at that. "I don't remember setting it." He blinked. "I'll go get the master key and reset it."

Bobby went over to his office where he kept the keys in his desk.

He passed his wall of the crew's pictures on the way.

After a little digging he found it in the opposite drawer from where he'd remembered it being. He guessed he'd gotten distracted and put it back wrong.

Bobby looked up to see a picture of him with Chimney, Hen, and Eddie. It was framed oddly by whoever took it. They left a good amount of negative space on one side of the group picture.

He stopped just before he left his office to stare at the blank picture frame on the wall that was between Eddie and the person who joined before him. 

Bobby was starting to get a headache from looking at it. Why would he skip a spot? It didn't make any sense to do that.

Chim and Hen saw him return with the key and moved to let him open it up. The lock clicked loudly in the clear room.

They opened it to see a rather large jacket. But the strangest thing was when they pulled it out to look at it two pictures fell into the ground before them.

They must have been beneath and pulling it disturbed them.

It was a picture of Maddie by herself and another of Christopher. The sight filled them with an odd dread that they couldn't shake.

"We'll tell them in the morning. Eddie's probably asleep, he needs it, isn't she-?" Bobby said as Chimney and Hen both bent to pick up the pictures.

"Going in right about now, yeah."

On the back of them they read. "You're the best-" and "To-"

It was then that Bobby recognized he was still holding onto the coat in his hand. He didn't want to let go. 

* * *

Maddie was in the middle of a call with a pair of siblings. 

"Apply pressure to his wound. You can tell him you're sorry but don't stop. He needs his big sister right now. Keep him conscious if you can. Help is on the way." Maddie instructed.

"You sound like you've done this before." The woman said.

"Yeah. I'm- No. No, I'm an only child. Don't worry ma'am. They're nearby, tell him to hold on a little longer, okay?"

She heard the lady sigh in relief as the paramedics arrived. She hung up as they started treating her brother and thanking Maddie.

Her brother had cut himself while on blood thinners at her house.

Maddie couldn't imagine having to live through that. The thought of it gave her chills.

"Are you ready for your break? You've got a visitor." Josh said nodding towards the break room.

Inside of it was Sue talking to Athena who was holding up some take-out and looking at her with a smile when she noticed Maddie looking before continuing to talk to Sue.

"Yeah. I'm gonna take it." She nodded and walked past Josh after switching her board.

"Hope you enjoy it." Josh went back to his own desk then.

"Well if it isn't my favorite Buckley. Hi Buckette," Athena said as she walked into the break room.

That had Maddie freeze for a second before coming to hug her friend. "I'm the only Buckley you know, Athena." She laughed.

Athena got this look on her face. "Yeah. But you're still my favorite. Come on, let's eat."

"I'm gonna go back. It was nice catching up Athena." Sue said.

"It was nice talking to you too."

Athena sat down with their bags and started divvy up their food. That's when they noticed.

"Did you order extra?"

"I guess I did?" Athena said looking at what might be enough to be a whole other meal. "Well, we could share a bit of it. I'll just take the rest home or we could find someone here who wants it." Athena shrugged.

"Eww. I hate those, don't you hate them too? The only one who likes those is-" Maddie's smile quickly faded into oblivion.

"Is who?" Athena asked while preparing it how she liked it. She looked up to worry about Maddie. The poor girl looked downright heartbroken. "Are you okay?"

"I- I don't know." A tear leapt from her check.

Athena handed her a napkin thankful that these were softer.

"I'm sorry." She wiped her tear. "I don't know what came over me."

"No Maddie. It's fine sweetheart." Athena comforted.

After a short pause they finally started eating. They caught up with each other. The entire time though both were taking glances at the cooling food beside them.

* * *

Eddie's alarm went off. 

He got himself up and needed to check on Christopher.

It was the weekend but they couldn't be lazy bones.

He went to grab his phone and look at his messages, needed to make sure nothing had happened while he was asleep.

His keys fell over the nightstand onto the floor a bit too loudly. It made him wince.

Eddie picked them up with a groan and looked at them.

"Where did you come from?" Eddie asked as he looked at a key he didn't recognize.

"Daddy!"

Eddie shot out of bed so fast that you'd swear there was dust left in his wake.

"It's okay Christopher. I'm here. Dad's here."

"I had a dream."

"A bad one?" Eddie asked.

Christopher shook his head.

"I was in the water. But then I was on the truck."

Eddie remembered. The babysitter had pissed him off with some weak apology. He should never have trusted just anyone.

They'd given up after losing him.

It was by a miracle of random strangers that his son was alive.

"He saved me."

"Yeah. I know buddy. I'd thank him just like I thanked her. For bringing you back to me." 

Whatever faceless person had helped Christopher. They could be dead for all he knew. 

Eddie hugged Christopher close and kissed his head.

"Can we have eggs this morning?" Christopher asked.

"I don't think we have any." Eddie shook his head. 

"I saw some in the fridge last night after we had dinner." Christopher told him.

Eddie didn't remember buying any. He didn't cook them himself and they usually only had cereal as their go to breakfast. 

"I can try bud. Okay?" 

They made their way to the kitchen and sure enough there were fresh eggs in there.

Eddie didn't see why he bought them since he always ended up burning them a little. He usually didn't need them that often. Didn't have the heart to fail at them.

"Can you make me an omelet?" Christopher asked.

"I don't- I've never made an omelet before kiddo. But I'll try making one and if the first isn't too good that'll be mine. Deal?"

"Okay. Pinky promise."

Eddie locked fingers with him and Chris sat back to let Eddie try his best at making it.

The smell was familiar and brought a smile to their faces. That is, until the smell of burnt egg wafted upward and outward.

"What made you want an omelet this morning Christopher?" Eddie asked him as he tossed it and started on another one.

"They're my favorite. They look like a smile." Chris said with a nod. 

"You came up with that on your own buddy?" Eddie asked.

This one was at least decent. Hopefully it was edible or the next would at least look better.

"No. I don't know." Christopher had started another drawing while Eddie was doing the second and letting the first cool.

"Who's that?" Eddie asked. 

Standing beside him and Christopher was another tall stick figure in his drawing.

"I don't know." Christopher pouted and sighed.

"Is it an imaginary friend?" Eddie asked him. 

"I don't have an imaginary friend daddy." Chris shook his head.

They ate and Christopher thanked his dad even if it wasn't the best. 

"These aren't as good as-" at Christopher's pause Eddie looked up at him.

"As good as what?"

"Who?"

"Are you asking me or telling me buddy?" Eddie said.

"All the other omelets I have."

"You don't really have omelets too much kid. Abuela makes migas and once in a while Bobby will make us breakfast or we'll go and eat out but-" Eddie stopped.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah."

"Do you ever get the feeling like you miss something but you don't know what it is?" 

"I guess we all feel like that sometimes bud. We just lose track of our thoughts."

"Like, really miss. Like it hurts." Christopher asked in the smallest voice, unlike him.

"It's okay to miss someone buddy." Eddie said.

"Not miss like you want them to come back and visit. Miss like you completely forgot them." Christopher said looking over at the seat between them.

Eddie had served another plate. He even put out a glass too. But he didn't remember doing it at the time though.

Eddie's phone rang startling them both as he got up to go get it from his room along with his keys.

It was best to have them closer to the door in case of something.

* * *

"Maddie, we just found it. It's you. You signed it" Chimney told her.

"Eddie, I have this same picture. It's from Christopher's picture day last year. I remember you said you ordered exactly enough for everyone." Hen told him.

Bobby looked between them and answered as Athena called him.

"Hello?"

"Have you gotten a weird feeling lately. Like somethings in the water?" She asked.

"What makes you ask that?" Bobby asked her wondering if she heard the others in the background of their call.

"Maddie was crying. I haven't seen her do that since I found her after Doug. I think I caused it by bringing extra food to brunch with her." Athena said with regret. 

"We're having some oddities ourselves at the station." 

"Like what?"

"Like finding pictures and a jacket in a locker that's supposed to be empty. Pictures of Maddie and Christopher."

"You found what!?"

"I know. It sounds crazy. It looks like it'd fit a pretty tall guy but I don't remember anyone wearing anything like it, much less how it got here in the first place."

"You didn't find any form of ID? A name, a card, anything?"

"No. Pockets were empty. Aside from some gum wrappers."

"I'm coming over."

* * *

That's how Athena, Eddie, and Christopher end up at the station that morning soon after.

"I don't remember writing that. And why didn't I put a name on it?" Eddie asked them, confused.

Christopher was playing with Chimney while they all talked.

"The same way Maddie didn't finish this one." Hen said, showing him the other picture again.

"Did anything strange happen to you yesterday or today?" Bobby asked him as they looked at the open locker as if it would speak to them, tell them an answer.

"Christopher wanted to talk to someone last night. But then he forgot who. And I set the table for three people this morning."

Athena looked at him funny.

"I know. It's weird. I can't expl-"

"No. I did the same thing. I had breakfast with Maddie a while ago and ordered extra. It was way too much for both of us. Then Maddie was about to say something and started crying." Athena told Eddie with a look of concern for him, for her, for everyone. Something was going on and it wasn't right.

"That's how we found the locker." Hen said earning looks from them all. "Chim asked a question and we tried to open it. I got a weird feeling when we did it. Then Bobby really opened it."

Bobby swallowed and cleared his throat. "There's an empty picture frame in my office besides Eddie's. And a picture of all of us that's on my desk, it looks like it was taken wrong."

"You didn't tell me that." Athena said, "on the phone."

"It slipped my mind. A lot of that's been going around today." Bobby looked worried.

Chimney came over with Christopher in tow. 

"Maddie said she wants me to put her on speaker." He said.

* * *

They all went upstairs to sit around the coffee table. 

"They're here Maddie."

"I- I had this strange feeling earlier. And I couldn't place it. But- I thought about why I was here. I know I ran away from Doug. But I couldn't remember why I chose L.A., it wasn't random."

They heard Maddie moving around through the phone. 

"I looked through my contacts and that got me thinking to look elsewhere. In my file, my first emergency contact is blank. Why would I leave it blank? The second is Chimney and the third is Athena."

Everyone was reminded of the empty locker downstairs.

"I suddenly remembered a postcard so I took off of work to come home and I can't find it. I looked everywhere and I mean everywhere. My place is a mess. I'm telling you, that's why I came here. It was for a reason, I can just feel it," they could hear the conviction in her voice.

"I found a key." Eddie said.

Everyone turned to look at him including Christopher. 

"What?" Maddie asked.

"On my keyring this morning. I don't know what it goes to. But it's definitely to a place not a car." Eddie pulled it out and showed it to them and Chris touched it.

"I think I might be able to find out where it goes to." Athena said getting up to call in a favor.

* * *

"You're sure about this?" Hen asked Athena as they went.

"I'm following my gut."

They were finally off their shift. In the time it took for Athena's contact to search through the tracked GPS locations of their phones they were out of their uniforms and into their street clothes ready to go.

All of them were in the parking lot of an apartment complex. 

Athena was ready to flash her badge to get them in but it wasn't necessary though, thankfully.

"This is the place." She said as they went to the apartment.

Unlike the others there was no name tag on the mailbox at the front for this specific apartment.

They waited with baited breath as Eddie tried the key.

Sure enough it opened.

The door was silent as it moved inward of its own accord.

They braced themselves for what could possibly be on the other side of the door.

One by one they went inside to see an enormous empty space.

"Tell ya one thing. Place must be expensive." Chimney whistled.

"It does look nice." Hen said. "But where are they?"

"Hello?" Athena asked as she led the way upstairs.

"Is that?" Christopher asked.

On the fridge there was a drawing just like his others.

"I think it is." Eddie said.

Bobby and Athena came downstairs shaking their heads. "No one. But more clothes in the same size as our mystery man."

"We found a laptop!" Maddie said with Chimney and Hen beside her below the loft.

"And, it's locked." Chimney said looking at the screen.

"Their phone, we can." Eddie said thinking of the GPS.

"It's right here." Hen said.

It was next to the laptop.

"He can't be far? Right?" Maddie asked, looking around again. 

Eddie sighed as Christopher held the drawing in his hand.

They tried everything. Made it this far. To not find them?

He looked at the tiny potted plant as it waved. Wait. What? A breeze. 

Eddie was quickly moving to the balcony. Were they-?

Nothing. No one was outside.

That's when he noticed the roots or vines of this little plant were crawling up towards the roof.

"Guys!" Eddie said, pulling their attention in his direction. "How would you get to the roof?" He asked as one of them came out to see what he'd seen.

* * *

"I don't get how this is an emergency?" The super said to Athena's questions.

She led her towards the room that one had to traverse in order to gain roof access.

"It's unlocked." She looked confused at the door, ajar.

"Thank you for your time. We'll take it from here." She told him as they all one by one moved past them in order to go up the stairs and make it to the roof.

They walked out to see no one.

* * *

Buck didn't know how long he'd been up here. But he remembered a beautiful sunrise now.

He couldn't make it past the door to the roof. In his next step he was back here. Over his body. Watching as he didn't move. Buck didn't look like he was even breathing in his own eyes.

"Come on. Please. What do you want?" Buck pleaded with the orb. It had to be doing this. Behind it. 

He'd cry if he could but it seemed this version of himself was incapable of such action.

He hadn't felt hungry even though it must have been hours.

Buck hadn't felt the need for much of anything really. 

Wait a minute. 

Did the ball just change color?

"Can you hear me?"

It shifted to another tone.

"Did you do this to me?"

It became a solid reddish orange.

"Why?"

Blueish purple.

"Okay this isn't working." 

No color change.

"Umm. Can you undo, whatever you did, to me? Please?"

Yellowish green.

Buck threw his hands up.

"Please. I don't wanna die. I have to go see Maddie and them again." Buck told it.

It started to go crazy in a rainbow of colors.

Buck looked to see that his name was now gone from his license too. Was it his still? Technically. 

The colors began changing more to Buck's dismay.

"I can't understand you." Buck told it with a deep sigh.

Buck looked down to see his shoes were missing. No, not just his shoes, his feet too. What?

* * *

"He has to be here." Maddie said as they searched. 

They even looked over the side to see if they'd fallen off.

No one, not a single soul.

They all looked around each and every AC unit and vent but alas there was nothing anywhere.

Athena looked over to Bobby staring off into distance as the sun would soon be setting.

"It looks beautiful." He said.

"I don't think nows the time for sightseeing Bobby." Athena said, pulling out her phone. She wasn't sure who she was planning to call anyways.

"Maybe that's why they came up here," Bobby said. 

Athena looked out. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."

"Maddie?" Chimney asked.

"I'm crying for someone I don't even remember. How do you forget someone that's so important to you? They changed my life and they're gone." She was beyond tears. She was angry. Why was this happening?

"You didn't forget them. That's why we're here." Hen pointed out with a comforting hand.

Maddie leaned against Chimney and thought about everything. All of it. "God up in heaven. Please. I won't ask you for anything. But this one thing." She said.

At her words the very air moved.

"Was that there before?" Hen asked Chimney pointing at something on the ground.

"No." He moved to pick it up. "Maddie, look at this."

She took a hold of it.

"Evan- Evan." The name sounded familiar. It was the same as her great grandfather.

Only the license was listed as living below them. And he was years younger , not older.

"Evan Buckley. I have a brother and his name is Evan Buckley." Maddie smiled through tears.

The others moved closer.

But it was still missing a picture.

She read it aloud.

"Evan Buckley. He's 29, with blonde hair and blue eyes."

At that the others got a picture in their heads of the man. 

"I remember." - "I remember!" - "I remember him." - "I remember too." All rang out together.

"But where is he?" Maddie asked as they looked around.

"Dad."

"Yeah. Christopher?"

"Does it feel warm?" Christopher asked his father.

"I guess so. The suns still up."

"No. I mean down here." Christopher pointed towards his legs and the ground.

Eddie knelt down and touched the ground. It did feel warm in comparison to the ground just an inch away from it. Significantly.

"Guys. I think Chris found something." Eddie called the others over.

They knelt down and followed his lead to feel the difference.

"What now?" Athena asked.

"We could say his name again." Christopher suggested.

They did as he said but nothing.

"Maybe we're not saying it right? What if we think about what we couldn't remember before." Hen suggested to the others.

"Does it sound right to you guys?" Eddie asked.

Christopher shook his head.

"Daddy can I see your phone?"

Eddie handed it over and the others looked on.

Christopher dialed a number he knew by heart and it pulled up in his dad's phone. It was listed as-

"Buck."

In that next second they felt a million memories come roaring forward in their consciousness.

As they said it something invisible to their eyes pushed against their hands on the floor.

Acting on instinct without a single one of them uttering a word they all grabbed a hold and pulled upward with each of their thoughts focused on their memories of Buck with them.

Their fingers had pierced through the very ground. But something was pulling against them on the other side though.

"Give me my brother back." - "He's our friend." - "He's my best friend." - "He's my Buck!"

Through a hazy void of distorted space he materialized before them. Just as they remembered.

He was whole.

"He's cold." Christopher said.

"We have to get him to a hospital." Maddie said as the others hauled him up.

"I'm already calling them." Hen said.

"It'll be faster if we drive." Bobby said as he looked to Athena.

"I've got my light. It's an emergency." She nodded.

"Why isn't he awake?" Eddie asked as they hurried down the stairs towards their vehicles.

Hen was with Christopher trying to comfort him as they followed telling him Buck would be okay and they were gonna get him help.

They made a mad dash to the hospital in a caravan.

"Hang in there buckaroo."

* * *

Buck was floating now. Or was he always floating here?

He couldn't think right.

The sphere was turning solid then transparent now.

When did the world turn black and white though?

Buck watched as more of his body disintegrated by the second. He couldn't stop it.

It was getting cold.

He hadn't felt temperature in a long while and was pretty sure that was a bad thing.

The sky didn't look right and he felt like he didn't have much time. Was he really dying? Or, was he already dead and in hell? Limbo?

Buck knew he wasn't perfect but he didn't think he'd done that bad in order to get sent here.

Maybe all the good he'd done wasn't thigh, could never be. 

"I'm sorry Mads."

"I'm sorry Chris."

"I'm sorry Eds."

"I'm sorry- 

In the next second Buck felt a bolt of lightning shoot straight through his chest.

He could see his own heart as it struggled to keep beating.

It was a nightmare come to life.

"No! I can't die! I'm not done. I still have stuff to do. People still need me." Buck pleaded.

He wasn't going willingly.

That's when he felt hands pulling him in every direction.

It was like a bad rollercoaster ride.

But some of those hands felt familiar though. Like-

Buck grabbed at two of them and knew at once who it was.

The light faded out completely.

* * *

They were waiting together in the hospital. It was past an hour now.

They'd run every test imaginable to find out what happened.

Buck just wouldn't wake up. But he was alive and healthy so to speak. 

They spoken to him, tried damn near everything but for not.

Maddie was sitting beside him now. They had him back. But it was like some cruel joke.

Chimney went to let the others come in one by one.

They each tried to reach him by talking, by touch, but no.

Eddie volunteered to go last with Christopher because he couldn't bring himself to think of Buck dying. Much less see it while Christopher was right there.

He'd prolong it as much as he possibly could. 

They all came in and left to rejoin the others. Cycling out. 

Finally Eddie had to go in and face his friend. Christopher was right besides him.

"Hey Maddie."

"Hi Eddie. Hi Christopher."

He took a silent seat next to Buck on the other side.

Chris was in his lap leaning to get closer to Buck.

"I know he loves you Eddie. He loves you and Christopher. You'd have to be blind not to see it."

That took Eddie by surprise.

He cleared his throat.

"We love him too." He said.

"Yeah." Maddie looked him in the eye to say something without Christopher hearing it.

"He's as happy with you as I can ever remember him being. Maybe more." Maddie put her hand back on Buck's chest.

"He makes us happy. He makes me happy." Eddie admitted.

He grabbed Buck's hand and squeezed it gently.

"Me too." Christopher said putting his hand over Eddie's. "We miss you Buck. Please wake up." He whispered the last part almost like a prayer.

At the last word they saw eye movement before Buck finally, finally, opened his eyes.

"Hey. What'd I miss?" He asked, with his voice raspy.

The three of them threw themselves half on top of him in Christopher's case fully.

"Whoa, whoa. What happened?" Buck asked, hugging them and grabbing their offered hands.

"It's a lot to explain. But we found you." Maddie's lip quivered. 

"We didn't give up." Eddie told him, with a nod and a smile.

"You came out of the ground!" Christopher said next excitedly. 

"I what!?" Buck asked, now fully awake and very confused.

"We'll tell you more after the doctors check you again." Maddie said, showing him that she was hitting the nurse call button.

* * *

"I was erased?" Buck asked.

"Kinda. There were bits of you left behind." Hen said.

With Buck getting a clean bill of health the doctor allowed them all in so long as Buck was okay with it which he was.

"There were still little bread crumbs that led us to you. Buck crumbs," Chim said, earning a laugh, especially from Buck.

"Things didn't make sense. Like pictures being blank or things being where they weren't supposed or so it seemed." Bobby mentioned.

"It just took us a bit to catch up with everything and put it all together" Athena told him.

"What do you remember?" Eddie finally got a chance to ask.

"I was- looking up at the sky. I- this is gonna sound dumb, but I was up there mourning a dead plant. Everything leaves eventually." Buck said.

"You mean the one that led us to you?" Eddie said.

"Say what?" Buck asked.

"There was a plant that was sprouting along your wall. It led us to the roof." Eddie said.

"It sounds crazy but it's true." Chimney backed him up.

"Not everyone, or everything leaves. Some choose to stay." Maddie told him, holding his hand.

Buck sniffed. "I guess I have a hard time remembering that sometimes." He croaked.

"Anything else?" Hen asked. "About you on the roof."

"Well, there was this meteor that I'm pretty sure hit me but thinking back now maybe it wasn't actually a meteor. But it was definitely spherical and I think the reason I was gone."

That had a few jaws dropping. 

"What? You guys had your crazy story to tell me, it's only fair." Buck smirked and got a light hit to his shoulder, he faked hurt. "Ow."

"I was on the roof with my body but I wasn't in my body. And it didn't really talk, it only glowed."

"That sounds like an alien man." Chimney said.

"Definitely." Hen agreed.

"Well, it wasn't human but I think it was real. And I'm alive without a crater for a head so, there's that." Buck shrugged.

"Well, whatever that was, hopefully it doesn't happen again. And if it does, you know that we'll find you, Buck." Athena said putting a hand over his.

"Thanks again. To all of you. For doing that, finding me." Buck said with tears in his eyes.

With much effort and awkward shuffling they managed to work out a hug around his bed.

* * *

Athena and Bobby left with Hen first. They had to find out what their boys were doing. But they left with good byes and knowing they'd see Buck again soon.

The others stayed for the rest of the night as Buck's tests were finalized. They updated them of Buck finally getting released.

"You missed out on one of your days off." Eddie said wistfully. 

"Yeah. But better than missing out on the rest of my life."

"I'm sorry I forgot."

"You weren't the only one and it was out of all of our control."

Christopher was asleep in the back seat of Eddie's truck.

Buck had opted for staying at Eddie's since some of his clothes were still at his and if not then he could borrow some. He didn't want to be alone tonight after all that and Eddie didn't want him to be alone either. 

Christopher would never allow such a thing. Buck may very well be spending the night for a week or two if he had it his way.

Maddie demanded an update on Buck by the hour at least until she didn't feel as worried.

Eddie had promised to do it for her, he'd keep an eye on him even if it was annoying but he'd be very safe with them.

That was all she asked for.

Buck was surprised to get a text from her saying they'd talk about something tomorrow. He wasn't sure what it was about but he knew it wasn't bad. Could feel it.

"Hey Buck." Christopher said startling them from the back seat, thought to be asleep.

Buck jumped in his seat. "Huh? Yeah buddy?" He asked.

"It was scary when you were gone. It didn't feel right. It's better when you're around. We like having you around, huh dad?" Christopher said sleepily, sleep still in his voice and eyes.

"Yeah. Chris. You're right. Buck does make things better. And he should know it." He nodded while looking into the mirror.

"Well, uh. You guys made my life better too. You make my life awesome buddy. I love you two."

"We love you too Buck" they said in unison.

"Let's go home." Chris said.

"Yeah. Your house is great."

"Our house. You included." Eddie said as they pulled up. "You have a key for more than one reason, Buck."

"I-" Buck couldn't talk.

"Dad. I think we broke Buck." 

Buck laughed along with them. 

"No. Pretty sure he's just overwhelmed. But we'll make sure he knows we mean it."

Buck walked into their home. His home. Where he belonged. Where he was always welcome.

That plant was gonna have to come too. Buck wouldn't forget.

"Well, I'm that case," Buck's voice was shaky, "It's good to be home."

It really did, feel like home.

**Author's Note:**

> Might come back to clear things up. Might not. It was a bring from another dimension. They granted a wish that wasn't made and it nearly cost buck's life for him to see how much they care about him and he matters to in their lives


End file.
